There is now a plan to return home for evacuees from most areas. Click this blue text to read the Texas Dept. of Transportation - TxDOT - TRAFFIC BRIEFING (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/txdotnews/039-2005.htm) CURRENT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, INFO ON WHEN TO RETURN HOME

Residents are asked to return home on three separate days based on which segment of the city they live in.

Day 1, Sunday, Sept. 25

Residents west of I-45 and north of I-10, including those residing in Tomball, The Woodlands, Waller, Hockley, Katy, Brookshire and surrounding communities.

Day 2, Monday, Sept. 26

Residents south of I-10 and west of I-45 south., including those residing in Richmond, Stafford, Rosenberg, Sugarland, Pearland and surrounding communities, including all Houston residents who reside inside of I-610.

Day 3, Tuesay, Sept. 27

Residents in all remaining areas east of I-45 and north of I-10 extending to Liberty and Chambers counties.

A return plan for residents of communities in storm-impacted areas is pending further damage assessment. These counties include: Galveston, Angelina, Polk, San Jacinto, Liberty, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Orange, Tyler, Hardin, Jasper, and Newton.

Saturday, September 24, 2005 2:20 p.m.: In a brief press conference in Austin, Texas, Steve McCraw, the Director of the Texas State Homeland Security Office, says he wanted media to get the word out to the public that gridlock is a major problem right now as evacuees try to head home despite urgings not to do so yet. He also warned of more problems with gasoline shortages if drivers rush back. Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst told reporters in Austin that one big problem causing gridlock on roads is that many evacuees took all of their cars when they left their homes in recent days. Roads back to Houston can accommodate 360,000 vehicles per day, but about 1.2 million vehicles evacuated the city, Mr. Dewhurst said.

Weather Updates

RITAHELP BLOG (http://ritahelp.blogspot.com/) - Updated frequently

• Link to Tropical Depression Rita Track Map (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT18/refresh/AL1805W+gif/084857W_sm.gif)

• Tropical Depression Rita Public Advisory (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT3+shtml/210248.shtml)

• Strike Probabilites (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIASPFAT3+shtml/220228.shtml?) - Where will Tropical Depression Rita hit next?

• NOAA Radio (http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/weather/noaaradio.ram)

• Drudge Report (http://www.drudgereport.com) Freqently updates hurricane information with picture

• Hurricane Central (http://www.khou.com/weather/hurricanecentral/) Houston, Texas

• Hurricane Rita Update (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/index_hls3.shtml)

• The Infozone Hurricane Rita Resource Page (http://www.theinfozone.net/news_stories/infozone-news_2005-RITA_.html) Full details, links and resources.

• Infrared Radar Image Rita (http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-ir4-loop.html) Hurricane Rita

• National Hurricane Center (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/)

• National Oceanic and Atmosphic Administration (http://www.noaa.gov)

• National Weather Service Forecast Office (http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/) Corpus Christi, TX

• National Weather Service Forecast Office (http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/) Houston/Galveston, Texas

• Watch Page for Hurricane Rita (http://tinyurl.com/9xyvd)

• Weather.com (http://www.weather.com/index.html)

• wunderground.com (http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at200518.asp) Rita's track and data

Returning Home from Evacuations

• Texas
  • Texas Dept of Public Safety (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/hurricane.htm) Hurricane Maps and Brochures
  • Texas Department of Transportation (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/) Hurricane Rita Information
  • City of Houston Office of Emergency Management (http://www.houstontx.gov/oem/hurricane.html)
  • Houston Airport Advisory (http://www.houstonairportsystem.org/news/?id=178) - Those without reservations need to pursue other means to evacuate.
  • Harris County Homeland Security and Emergency Management (http://www.hcoem.org/)
  • Governor's Division of Emergency Management (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem)
  • Galveston County Office of Emergency Management (http://www.gcoem.org/)
  • Texas Road Conditions (http://www.dot.state.tx.us./hcr/main.htm)
  • Texas Emergency Management Site List (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/links.htm#localgov)
  • Galveston, Texas (http://www.click2houston.com/news/4995385/detail.html)
• Louisiana
  • Louisiana State Police (http://www.lsp.org/lcadeg.html) Disaster Evacuation Guide
  • New Orleans, Louisiana (http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2005/09/20/59806.htm)
  • Greyhound Bus Service Alert (http://www.greyhound.com/scripts/TicketCenter/service_alert.asp) Houston, Texas terminal is closed - Other update information

Hurricane Information

• Hurricane Preparedness (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml) - National Hurricane Center

• FAQ - Hurricanes (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqG.html)

• WWL TV New Orleans Discussion Forum (http://www.wwltv.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=42) - Discuss Hurricane Rita

• WTOC (http://weather.wtoc.com/tropical/trop.aspx) Hurricane News from Savannah, Georgia

• Hurricane Preparation Guide (http://storm.herald.com/) Miami Herald

• wunderground.com (http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at2005.asp) 2005 Hurricane Archive

• unisys.com (http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/2005/index.html) 2005 Hurricane/Tropical Data for Atlantic - Scroll down for Rita

• Hurricane Tracker (http://www.local6.com/hurricanetracker/index.html) Interactive - with paths of Rita and other storms

• How Hurricanes are Named (http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/050919_hurricane_names.html) What Happens if we finish the alphabet this year? History and Answers

• Rita Message Board (http://www.wwltv.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=42) WWL-TV

• How to Care for Your Pets (http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/petprotect.asp) Keep your pets from becoming homeless.

Blogs

• Patrix (http://patrix.typepad.com/nerves/)

• Ritahelp Blog (http://ritahelp.blogspot.com/)

• Houston Chronicle (http://blogs.chron.com/rita/) - Very useful information for returning evacuees.

News

[1] (http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/index.php/News_Resources) - Moved to main site - please do not add anything here.

News Sources

[2] (http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/index.php/News_Resources) - Moved to main site - please do not add anything here.

Medical Volunteers Needed

Texas Medical Volunteers (https://tigerlily.tdh.state.tx.us/volunteerreg/volunteerinfo.aspx) Online registration form for Texas

Other

Sign-up form (http://reedvolunteers.tamu.edu/) If you can volunteer to assist evacuess at Reed Arena from today through Tuesday, September 27, please use this form.

Houston Museum of Natural Science Webcam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/texas/houston/museum/)

Hurricane Katrina

Looking for Information about Hurricane Katrina? Click here. (http://katrinahelp.info)

Additional Helpful Resources